What’s at stake: Baylor hopes to keep its undefeated record while keeping its national title hopes alive. Oklahoma looks to prove that they are still the big fish in the Big 12. A win for the Sooners would also keep their hopes of a Big 12 title alive.

The line: Baylor -14.

The last meeting: Oklahoma won 42-34 last year in Norman, but Baylor has not lost since that game. Their 11 game winning streak is the longest in program history. Baylor quarterback Nick Florence completed just 12 of 33 passes last year.

1. Saturday’s game pits the Big 12′s two best pass defenses against one another. One key will be how Oklahoma’s safeties match up against Baylor’s speedy wide receivers that line up in the slot.

Against the Baylor offense, defenses must have the capability to cover five vertical routes. Safeties Quentin Hayes and Gabe Lynn will be tested in coverage like they haven’t been so far this season. The secondary that handles the opponent’s passing game better will enable the rest of their defense to turn an eye toward both team’s potent rushing attacks.

In this regard, the advantage goes to Baylor who will have to defend Blake Bell. The Sooner offense is not as potent in the passing game, and Baylor has the speed in the secondary to run with Jalen Saunders and Sterling Shepherd.

2. How does Baylor handle being the hunted? For the first time in the lives of Baylor’s players, they are now the hunted.

Head coach Art Briles said last weekend that his team knows others in the Big 12 are now gunning to take them down.

“We do feel like we’re hunted a little bit right now, but our goal and our job is still to be the hunter,” said Briles who has encouraged fans to “black out” Floyd Casey Stadium Thursday. “We’ve played seven football games. It’s not like we’ve played nine or 10. So we don’t feel like we’ve arrived yet. We’ve gotten in the car, but we haven’t buckled up and started yet. We have a lot to do and a lot to prove.”

Such a mindset will help Baylor against the Sooners because the Bears have played with a chip on their shoulder this season, and they must bring that same edge if they are going to beat the Sooners.

The tarp is coming off the endzone of Floyd Casey Stadium, and running back Lache Seastrunk wants fans to rush the field if Baylor wins. The question is: has the moment become too big for Baylor? If Baylor treats the game as their Super Bowl, they may struggle, but if the Bears come with a business-like mindset, they can beat the Sooners.

The Bears have won eight straight at home, not having lost since TCU beat them there in 2012. Nine straight home wins would be a record for Floyd Casey Stadium. Two top ten teams have not met at “The Case” since 1956.

3. Who wins line of scrimmage? When Baylor and Oklahoma meet, all eyes will be on the high-flying passing attacks, the quarterbacks, the running backs, the receivers, et cetera, but the winning team will be the team whose offensive line plays better on Thursday.

The big uglies for both teams have dominated opponents, creating big holes for the running backs. Baylor running backs Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin average 9.1 and 8.1 yards per carry respectively while Oklahoma’s running backs by committee rank in the top 20 nationally, averaging 234 yards per game on the ground.

When Baylor has the ball, the key matchup will be LT Spencer Drango versus Oklahoma defensive end Charles Tapper. Tapper has 4.5 sacks on the year and six tackles for loss. Just a sophomore, he has emerged as one of Oklahoma’s most promising young defenders.

When the Sooners have the ball, center Gabe Ikard versus Baylor nose tackle Beau Blackshear will be the key matchup along the line. Blackshear must hold his ground against the senior Ikard. The Sooners faced two of the nation’s best defensive tackles earlier this season in Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt from Notre Dame, and Ikard was dominant. The best defense that Oklahoma will have Thursday night is a good offense, thus the Sooners must run the ball effectively to keep the Baylor offense on the sidelines.

Why Baylor could win: Bryce Petty’s passing attack and Lache Seastrunk’s run game are good enough to put up 50+ on Oklahoma, but the question is whether the Sooners have devised a game plan that can slow the Bears offense. If Baylor rushes for 200+ yards Thursday (as they have in every game but one this season), Oklahoma will have trouble winning.

Why Oklahoma can win: The Sooners can slow the pace of the game with their rushing attack. The Sooner offensive line needs to have one of its best games, creating holes for their stable of running backs and protecting Blake Bell against the Big 12′s best pass rush. When the Sooners have to throw, Bell cannot turn the ball over, and if he doesn’t, the Sooners can keep the game close, giving themselves a chance to win in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Despite sustaining several long drives, Oklahoma turns the ball over twice, giving Baylor and their crowd momentum. It’s the biggest game at Floyd Casey Stadium in a long time, and Baylor wins thanks in part to a large ‘blacked out’ crowd.

Baylor wins 42-27.

~You can follow Alex Apple on Twitter @AlexAppleDFW, and be sure to follow @SportsDayDFW as well.~

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